A plainclothes Philadelphia police officer opened fire on a gunman along a Kensington street Thursday.
At least a half dozen bullets whizzed down Hart Lane near Jasper Street at 1 p.m., police said. The shooting began after an argument between two groups escalated to physical violence.
A man pulled a gun and opened fire, police said. The plainclothes officer assigned to the department's narcotics strike force then pulled their weapon. The officer opened fire when the gunman ran in their direction with the gun in hand, police said.
The man eventually dropped the gun and tried to run away, but officers caught up to him.
Luckily, no one was hit by the gunfire, police said. At least one bullet struck a parked car along the block, leaving a bullet hole in the windshield.
"We're not sure whether it was a robbery, a drug deal gone south, but whatever happened, it arose to the level of somebody producing a firearm and firing down the street," Staff Inspector Sekou Kinebrew said.
The officer is 47 years old and has served in the department since 1996.
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In addition to the gunman, police said they took a second man into custody, but could not say what his role may have been in the incident.
